Today my plan for the morning was to getting going in time to meet Evan at Mox Boarding House with Susie and play a few games. I needed Susie to get going about 10:30ish. Susie said she was not going. I was very disappointed and angry. I was, with a lot of difficulty, able to change plans and get my anger under control. Caregivers somedays don’t get it right and you have to learn to forgive yourself when you fail.
I did not understand until later that Susie did not do her exercises today. I will be more vigilant. Again, you fail, you correct, and try again.
Returning to today’s story, we reworked the plan and Evan came over instead and we watched part of Cinderella on Disney+ with Susie. We fit in a board game: Architects of the West Kingdom with the new meeples and using the Artisan add-on. The game plays a bit better and looks better.
I made Susie corn muffins, I made them after changing plans, and soup for lunch. I combined left overs and some frozen veggies in a pan to make a pasta of ham, veggies, and cream sauce. It was not bad for ad hoc lunch. I had spiced it with pepper. I shared it with Evan.
Evan stayed with Susie while I made a quick trip to the local restaurant supply store, once called Cash-And-Carry and now known as Smart Foodservice Warehouse. Our garlic, pre-crushed and in a jar, was getting old and running low. Our ginger, again in a jar and pre-crushed, was also aging poorly. My huge can of non-stick spray was low. So we needed some new items, and I wanted the most excellent little frozen steaks. These are the flat-iron steaks you see on menus everywhere. Susie is getting tried of pasta and goulash, time to do the steak thing again (12 perfect six-ounce steaks for about $42 all separately frozen).
I usually order everything I need online from Safeway.com, and have it all delivered. Simply, I will not risk our lives for groceries. I make a run to the supply store for special items once every few months.
This time I was happy to see everyone had on a mask and everyone was being very careful. The store was full of cooks and restaurant people and like folks who do not want to be shutdown. They are want to live both physically and finically. They are on the front-line in some ways. They are all being very careful and diligent about social distancing.
After returning and unloading Air Volvo, I started on dinner by trying a new recipe: Ground Lamb with Potatoes. I chopped and cried for the onions. I cut up green pepper (not hot peppers like the recipe called for) and cooked that with the ground lamb that was defrost by mistake but needed to be used. I added in lots of garlic, fresh rosemary from our plant near the roses, salt (unusual for me), pepper (an Asian one that I have), turmeric powder, fingerling potatoes cut in to smaller bits (I bought a large bag of fingerling potatoes at the supply store), and cooked it all in a fry pan with a lid. I added a bit of water once in a while and kept a tight lid on it to steam the potatoes.
I had a few bowls, Susie had one bowl, Evan a few, and it is all gone. I made couscous to go with it. I did my usual recipe. I heated oil in a sauce pan. I added Gram Masala and pistachios and heated that up. I put two cups of good chicken broth in the microwave and heated like soup. I added two cups of couscous dry to the hot oil and spices and nuts. I stir that so it does not burn. I want it slightly toasted. I take it off the heat and let it cool just a bit and then add the chicken broth and put on a cover. I heat up water in the kettle. I add hot water to the couscous to keep it from being too dry.
We watched the movie “Home Alone” on the Disney+ channel. I forgot how funny that movie was and saw how oddly dated it is now. No cell phones or security systems or Zoom calls. And no laptops or Internet. Funny how that movie predated all of that just by a year or so.
Evan and I played one more board game, Istanbul. This is one of my favs and I play it against myself (there is no official Solo version) as two players. Evan had played it once before. We reviewed the rules and then played. I have played myself on two person so many times I know exactly what moves to make. I won, but that one should likely be marked as a learning game. It was still nice to get that game on the table. Evan enjoyed playing Istanbul again.
I am again using my Nike computer as the Apple is belly-up right now waiting for a hard drive transplant. That will happen on Monday. My cool editing software is not running for this. Sorry for any typos or wooden wording.
Today more than 1,200 people in the USA died from Covid-19.
I turned to this hymn today: God of Grace and God Glory. Methodist Hymnal #577. This is a hymn I can even sing.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 